To Forgive, Forget and Start Anew
by Danny Hawk
Summary: When Callie dumps Frank for another, he fails to forget her, until he meets HER. Fenton Hardy is gravely shocked at Frank's choice.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Disclaimer : I do not own the Hardy Boys.

A/N : I know that I am in the middle of an unfinished "Family Ties" story, but I misplaced the notes and can't continue. Sorry…

"Father," called a young Daniele Jovanovich, "I've to go now."

"Yes, yes, of course," said a hoarse-voiced Jerzy Jovanovich from his room. He coughed again.

Daniele stepped out of her small flat and left her ill father behind. She walked towards the shopping mall - not to shop, but to work.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Nineteen-year-old Frank Hardy lifted his heavy books from his desk and flipped the light switch off. He landed on his bed heavily and turned to face a photo frame on his bureau.

That sweet smile, that lustrous blond hair. Callie Shaw… his first love… gone… just slipped through his fingers into another's waiting arms. He picked up the photo frame and removed the picture. He crumpled in and tossed it carelessly into the waste paper basket.

"So long, Callie Shaw," he said, leaving the room, "I don't need you anymore."

…………………………………………………………………………………………….


	2. To Like and Dislike

Disclaimer : I don't own them.

Chapter 1: To Like and Dislike

Frank hopped onto his bicycle and peddled furiously down the street. Suddenly, he remembered that it was going to be his father's birthday in a week's time. _I've got to go to the mall and get him something or I'll get a long lecture from Aunt Gertrude on courtesy and manners. _

He parked his bike and locked it. _Gosh, what shall I buy for him?_ He entered the store and headed towards the men's department. Socks? No, too common. Shirt? Way beyond his budget. _Hmm…_

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Daniele placed the shirts on wooden hangars and set them on the metal clothes railings. Her salesgirl partner, Ally, was no hard worker. A flirt, she was. However, they made a great team and managed to increase the mall's sales. No customer whom they attended to left with their wallets untouched.

Suddenly, Ally jumped her. "Dani, look over there!" she said, pointing excitedly to a young man with brown hair. "Isn't he the cutest ever?"

Daniele glanced at him. _Not bad…_ He was tall, approximately 6 feet, he had dark brown hair and he had a well-built body. In fact, she actually felt jealous as Ally hurried to attend to him. She just laughed it off and went back to her task.

At the corner of her eye, she saw Ally doing her usual job, flicking on the switch of her specially-for-guys charm. _Ally, Ally… _The man chose a pair of blue leather gloves and he headed of to the cashier, leaving Ally beaming. She ran back to Daniele excitedly.

"Ooh, Dani! He's so charming," she said. "I love the way he walks, talks…"

"Well, he does look like a great person," Daniele admitted, "and I'm rather jealous of you."

"Oh, come on," exclaimed Ally, slapping her partner's shoulder, "it's not like he asked me out on a date."

"We'll see, Al, we'll see," said Daniele.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Frank peddled home thinking, hard. The paper bag containing the leather gloves dangled precariously on his bicycle handle. The girl with chocolate-coloured hair. She looked beautiful, unlike that chatty blond. She was definitely not American. But still, that lovely features, the smile…

_Snap out of it, Frank Hardy! You are acting like a love-sick sixth grader. _

_But how can I? She's lovely._

_Remember, you just broke up with Callie Shaw._

_Callie Shaw! Callie Shaw! Callie Shaw! I'm sick of that name! _

At the sound of that name, the detested name, the name that depicts selfishness, Frank stopped. He decided to return to the mall the next day to see the salesgirl.


	3. To Remember and Recall

Disclaimer : Own them I don't.

Chapter 2 : To Remember and Recall

"_Hello?"_

"_Hi, Frank."_

"_Callie?"_

"_Yeah, it's me."_

"_What's up?"_

"_Well, I was just wondering if you had nothing to do, so we could…"_

"_Say no more, Cal, it's a date."_

"_Where to?"_

"_It's up to you."_

"_Hmm…the new pizza place?"_

"_Yeah, sure. Need a lift?"_

"_Nope, it's okay. See you there."_

"_Yup, see you. Bye."_

"_Bye."_

_Frank walked into the pizza place and glanced around. No, she wasn't there yet. Ah, Callie… He had not seen her for almost a month, since he went to New York with Joe and Phil Cohen to solve another case. He had been thinking of her and sending her postcards every three days while he was there. He took a booth by the glass window facing the main street. The café was rather empty at the moment as it was past lunch hour. Hmm…pleasant place. As the door of the café swung open, he whipped his head around. He saw Callie enter, a picture of joy. _

"_Frank!"_

_Hugs and kisses._

"_Mmm…missed you so much."_

"_Me too."_

"_How was New York?"_

"_Great! But it could have been better if you were there."  
"Frank, dear, I really need your help…"_

"_What's the matter?"_

"_Oh, it's like this…"_

………………………………………………

"_Cal, I really need your help here. Could you get down here immediately?"_

"_I'm sorry dear, but my aunt just came back from China."_

…………………………………………………

"_Frank, I'm having a little bit of trouble down here."  
"Where are you, Cal?"_

"_I…I'm in Washington D.C."_

"_What's the matter?"_

"_Oh, I really can't say it over the phone. Please come…"_

………………………………………………

"_Cal, I need you to get my dad and Joe now."_

"_Hold on a second, Frank, the girls are over at my house for a sleepover." Covered mouthpiece. "Strawberry would be wonderful! Wait a second, okay? Frank's on the line."_

"_Please, Cal."_

"_I'm real sorry, Frank, I can't desert the girls. After all, I'm the host for this sleepover."_

"_Cal!"_

…………………………………………………

"_Doctor, please tell me what's wrong with my father?"_

"_I'm sorry to tell you, but he is suffering from a respiratory disease that cannot be cured."_

"_But, he has never been exposed to any dangerous gases or substances."_

"_He has been infected by this disease since he was a child, through long-term exposure."_

"_Long-term exposure?"_

"_Yes. Where did he live when he was a child?"_

"_I have no idea. But his father worked at a coal mine."_

"_He must have lived near the mine."_

"_But, sir, isn't there any way to heal him?"_

"_I'm afraid there isn't. He is beyond repair."_

_Silence._

"_Thank you, doctor."_

………………………………………………

"_What? I got the job?"_

"_Yes, miss, you heard me."_

"_Thank you!"_

_Race home._

"_Ojciec! ("father" in Polish) Ojciec! I got the job!"_

"_Really?"_

"_Yes."_

"_That is wonderful!" cough. "Come here, my corka. (daughter)"_

……………………………………………

"_It's good you got the job, Daniele."_

"_Thanks, Jacek." (Daniele's brother)_

"_When do you start?"_

"_Tomorrow." _

"_You work so hard. Just like how Matka (mother) did when she was alive."_

"_Matka…her death left Ojciec broken."_

"_I never realized how much I miss Matka until now."_

"_Matka, brakuje mi ciebie." (Mother, I miss you)_

"_I'm sure she knows, Dani, I'm sure she knows."_

……………………………………………

"_Frank?"_

"_Uh…who's on the line?"_

"_Gosh, silly, it's me Callie."_

"_Cal, it's 2 in the morning."_

"_I know. I need your help."_

"_What could it be?" (annoyed)_

"_I need you here at Port Avenue. My car broke down."_

"_Uh…okay…I'll be there."_

"_Hurry, it's very dark."_

……………………………………………

"_Cal? What!"_

_Callie in the car with another guy, kissing._

"_What! Callie, what is the meaning of this?"_

_Scramble out of car._

"_You called me out here in the middle of the night just to make me see this? You planned this all! Fakers!"_

"_I wanted to tell you this for a long time, Frank."_

""_I wanted to tell you this for a long time"? Oh, for heavens sake!"_

"_Stop this shouting, Frank! Let me explain."_

"_There's nothing to explain. I've seen everything! You, dating him? Will Harvest! And you said you hated him for his arrogance. So, it was just a cover-up, huh?"_

"_Hey, stop picking on Callie like that!"_

"_Stay out of this, Will."_

"_Hey…"_

"_Will dear, stay out…"_

"_You pulled me along all the time. Using me when you needed me. All for your convenience, while you could not even help me in a minor situation!"_

"_You think you are, oh, so great just because you are Frank Hardy a.k.a. P.I.? Well, think again!"_

"_Stop it! Just stop being selfish for one second!"_

"_Selfish? Selfish! Look who's calling who selfish! I love Will and we will be together!"_

"_I've heard enough! Goodnight and have a great time together. By the way, Callie, thanks for waking me up at 2 a.m. and good luck with her, Will!"_

………………………………………………


	4. To Mourn and Grieve

Chapter 3 : To Mourn and Grieve

Frank rubbed his hands together nervously and entered the shopping mall. He walked towards the men's section and glanced casually around. He spotted the two salesgirls - the chatty one and the pretty one. Suddenly the two girls looked in his direction. The pretty brunette nudged her chatty friend, who dashed immediately to attend to him.

"Hello, sir, may I help you?" she said, beaming from ear to ear.

"Um…I'm looking for …uh…black socks?" he said. _Great job, Frank, black socks, yeah…_

"Oh, black socks?" she said pointing to a shelf-full of black socks. "We have many, many types of black socks. What shall it be? Nylon, cotton, wool, just say it, we've got it all."

"Cotton, cotton, should do," he said.

"Okay, sir, here you go, black cotton socks," she said. She handed him a pair of cotton socks in a transparent plastic wrapper. "Please pay at the counter over there, thank you. Please come again."

"Thanks."

Frank walked away feeling rather annoyed that the brunette salesgirl did not attend to him, so that he could ask her out for a date. He paid for the socks and left.

………………………………………………….

Ally dashed to Daniele, grinning. "He - is - so - cute!"

"Yes, Ally, I know," said Daniele nodding.

Then, Ally became quiet, and thoughtful, for once. "You know something, Dani, he hasn't asked me out for a date."

"He hasn't?" asked Daniele, shocked.

"No, no," she insisted, shaking her head. "Maybe he's just shy."

………………………………………………….

"Ojciec, I'm home!" called Daniele as she pushed the door of her apartment open.

She heard a spasm of coughs from the back of the apartment. She ran to her father's room.

"Ojciec!"

The door was ajar. Her father lay on the floor beside his bed, coughing. By his frail body, there were some droplets of blood on the wooden floor. The side of his mouth had a small trail of blood.

"Ojciec! Are you okay?"

"Uhmm…."

"Ojciec! Ojciec!"

……………………………………………………

"It's exactly like what I told you before, Daniele, your father's not too good. In fact, he might…umm…expire soon," said Dr. Haremon. He walked across the room and stared at an x-ray of Jerzy Jovanovich.

"Take a look here, Dan," he said, pointing to the x-ray. "The infection is spreading too quickly. There is no way we can handle it."

Daniele hung her head.

"He can be cured if he gets the best medical attention," the doctor explained. "But, it would definitely not be in any hospital in Bayport, and it will be very costly."

She lifted her head. "Then, is there no other way?" she asked, her voice cracked.

The doctor shook his head grimly. "No."

…………………………………………………….

Daniele walked home dejectedly. _"It's exactly like what I told you before, Daniele, your father's not too good. In fact, he might…umm…expire soon." _

She entered her glum little apartment. It was less cheerful than it had been yesterday, when her father was still around. When Jacek could joke around freely with nothing to bother him, when Ojciec was still a strong man, when Matka was busy cooking up a simple meal for the four of them, when they were just carefree kids.

She stared out of the window. The sky was getting darker. "Oh, Jacek, please hurry home."


End file.
